He Died Alone

His sole smelt of death
long before it was burnt.
We cowered in the corner,
behind curtains,
visiting yet avoiding
the two legged, half-winged butterfly.
Cancer is not contagious,
but depression can spread.
We pickled our memories,
preserving the fruit,
but his core rotted as he shrank and
with healthy wings we fluttered away,
which made him die,
long before he was dead.